Sliding screen top guide



March 9, 1965 D. L. MILLER suomc SCREEN TOP cum:

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1963 Donald L. Mil/er IN VEN TOR.

3 J Fig. 57"

March 9, 1965 o. L. MILLER 3,172,145,

SLIDING SCREEN TOP GUIDE Filed Aug. 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

44 Donald L. Mil/er I N VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,172,145 'S'LIDINGSCREEN TGP GUIDE Donald 'L. "Miller, Miami, Fla, assignor to Daryl Industries, 'Ine, htliami,-Fla.,'a corporation of Florida Filed Aug. 23, 1963,-Ser. No. 303,996 :4 Claims. (Cl. 16-879 This invention relates to slidableimounting and guiding facilities for panel frame assemblies and more particularly to a top :sliding guide device .for sliding screen assemblies.

Considerable diificulties have been encountered in connection with the slidable mountingofscreenpanelassemblies within the header of :a sliding door unit, in that such screen panel assemblies would often jump the track and fallout under certain conditions because of deviations of the track and guidingfac'ilities and the clearances involved. It is:therefore a primary-object-of the present invention to provide guiding and mounting facilities for s'lidingpanelframeassernblies which will prevent unintentional disassembly f the panel assembly from its slidable mounting without'requiring anyspecial track mounted structure.

Another object of the presentin-vention is to provide a slide guide assembly for sliding panels which is easy to install and adjustable so as to accommodate sliding movementof the panel on an overhead track despite any deviations of: the track from alevel position.

In accordance with the foregoing'objects, the present invention features va new anduseful method for guiding movement of a panel such as a framed screen assembly along a guidefin downwardly depending from'the header of a sliding door unit. The panel frame assembly is therefore provided with facilities .for =adjustably mounting a fixed guide member by means of which nominal sliding guidance for the panel may be obtained. Pivotally mounted on the fixed guide member, is a movable guide member by means of which substantialisliding guidance for the panel on the guide fin, is. maintained. The movable guide member is also springbiased sothat: it engages a lower edge of the guide fin whereby guidance for the panel is maintained despite .deviations of theguiide fin causing relative vertical displacement between the guide fin and the panel.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational view of a sliding panel installation with parts broken away showing the slidable mounting and guiding facilities of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 2-2 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 4--4 in FIGURE 3.

3,172,145 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 observed from FIGURE 1, that the sliding panel generally referred to by reference numeral 10 is slidably mounted by the header frame member 12 of a sliding door unit. The panel 10 maybe formed from vertical frame members 14 interconnected with horizontal frame members 16 forming a frame assembly for the screening 18. Sliding movement of the panel 10 is guided along a guide fin portion 20 of the header 12 -by means of a guide device generally referred to by reference numeral 22. The guide device 22 is mounted by the panel frame assembly at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal frame members 14 and 16.

As more clearly seen in FIGURES 3, 4, 6 and 7 the vertical and horizontal frame members interlock at a corner of the panel'andare fastened togetherby means of a screw fastener 24. The screw fastener therefore extends through .an aperture 26 formed in the partition portion 28 of-the vertical frame member 14 adjacent the upper end thereof. The head of the fastener 24 is therefore hidden between the side portions 30 of the frame member 14 on one side of the partition portion 28 and projects into a bore portion 32 formed in the bottom portion 34 of the horizontal frame member 16 from which -the parallel spaced rail portions 36 extend upwardly. The rail portions 36 are therefore received between'the side portions 6t of the vertical frame member 14 abutting against the inwardly projecting portions 38to which the partition portion 28 is connected. The vertical frame member 14 is provided with an inner wall portionAti cut away at the top so asto receive therhorizontal frame .member, the wall portion 40 being provided with ascreen anchoring projection 42 secured to the screening -18. Ascreen hanger portion 44 similarly projects downwardly from the portion-34 of the horizontal frame member in orderto secure the screening 18 thereto. Each corner of the frame assembly is interlocked in a similar fashion in order'to form the screen panel. The upper horizontal frame member 16 will therefore receive between-the rail portions 36 thereof, the downwardly depending guide fin 24). A slot 46 is formed at the-upper end of the partition portion 28 of the vertical frame member so as -to permitthe guide 'fin 20 to extend therethrough. The slot446 terminates in an-enlarged slot portion 48 adapted to receive a screw fastener =5fi bearing against a washer element 52 so as to adjustably mount the guiding device 22 adjacent the FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the disassembled upper end of the partition portion 28 of the vertical frame member. As more clearly seen in FIGURES 3, 5 and 6, the guiding device 22 includes a fixed guide member 54. The fixed guide member includes a base portion 56 provided with a threaded aperture 58 adapted to receive the fastener Stl so as to secure the guiding device in an adjusted position 011 the frame assembly with the base portion 56 closely spaced below the bottom edge 60 of the guide fin Extending upwardly from the base portion 56 of the fixed guide member, are a pair of parallel spaced guide portions 62 which are disposed on opposite sides of the guide fin 20 so as to provide nominal sliding guidance for the panel on the guide fin in the direction of sliding movement. Accordingly, the fixed guide member 54 is adjustably mounted on the panel frame assembly in straddling relation to the guide fin with the base portion 56 thereof adjustably spaced therebelow by a small amount so as to accommodate deviations of the guide fin or header 12 on which it is mounted from a horizontal or level position without causing any binding. It will of course be apparent, that the sliding guidance provided by the fixed guide member would be inadequate under certain conditions so that the panel may fall out of the doorway.

The guiding device 22 is therefore also provided with a movable guide member generally referred to by reference numeral 64', the movable guide member being pivotally mounted on the fixed guide member and extending therefrom between the rail portions 36 of the horizontal frame member in straddling relation to the downwardly depending guide fin 24 The movable guide member is therefore provided with parallel spaced pivot portions 66 having arcuate surface portions 68 receiving the pivot pins 70 that project laterally from the guide portions 62 of the fixed guide member 54. The guide member 64 may therefore be pivotally displaced with respect to the fixed guide member in order to maintain its guiding relation to the guide fin 20. The pivot portions 66 of the movable guide member are therefore interconnected by an engaging portion 72 disposed below the lower edge 60 of the guide fin. The engaging portion is therefore provided with an arcuate engaging surface 74 and a projecting spring mounting portion 76 spaced below the guide fin so as to seat or mount a spring element 78 thereon. The spring element 78 reacts between the movable guide member 64 and the base portion 56 of the fixed guide member in order to continuously bias the engaging surface 74 into engagement with the guide fin. The base portion 56 of the fixed guide member is therefore also provided with a spring mounting projection 80 to receive one end of the spring element 78.

From the foregoing description, the construction, installation and utility of the sliding screen panel guide device of the present invention will be apparent. It will therefore be appreciated, that the device of the present invention in addition to providing sliding guidance for a panel on an overhead track, will also maintain such sliding guidance without binding regardless of deviations of the overhead track from the horizontal level position and as a result thereof, will prevent the panel from falling out of its slidable mounting. It will also be appreciated, that the foregoing guiding device is relatively easy to install and adjustable so as to accommodate different installational requirements.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordinglyall suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a guide fin and a sliding panel frame assembly having interlocked vertical and horizontal frame members receiving the guide fin therein, guide means mounted on the vertical frame member and projecting into the horizontal frame member for guiding movement of the frame assembly relative to the guide fin comprising; a fixed guide member adjustably mounted on the vertical frame member in straddling relation to the guide fin, a movable guide member pivotally mounted on the fixed guide member in straddling relation to the guide fin and spring means operatively mounted on the guide members spaced from the guide fin for biasing the movable guide member into engagement with the guide fin.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said fixed guide member includes, a base portion adapted to be secured to the vertical frame member in adjustably spaced relation to the guide fin, parallel guide portions extending from the base portion to opposite sides of the guide fin, pivot pins projecting laterally from the guide portions on opposite sides of the guide fin for pivotally mounting the movable guide member, and a spring mounting portion projecting from the base portion in spaced relation to the guide fin for mounting said spring means thereon.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said movable guide member includes, parallel spaced pivot portions on opposite sides the guide fin receiving the pivot pins of the fixed guide member, an engaging portion interconnecting said pivot portions within the horizontal frame member and spring mounting means fixed to the engaging portion spaced from the guide fin for receiving the spring means thereon to urge the engaging portion into engagement with the guide fin.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said movable guide member includes, parallel spaced pivot portions on opposite sides the guide fin pivotally mounted on the fixed guide member, an engaging portion interconnecting said pivot portions within the horizontal frame member and spring mounting means fixed to the engaging portion spaced from the guide fin for receiving the spring means thereon to urge the engaging portion into engagement with the guide fin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 388,621 8/88 Boughn 292-78 2,680,269 6/54 Watkins 2440.5 2,903,755 9/59 Romanoski.

3,090,084 5/63 Banner.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A GUIDE FIN AND A SLIDING PANEL FRAME ASSEMBLY HAVING INTERLOCKED VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL FRAME MEMBERS RECEIVING THE GUIDE FIN THEREIN, GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE VERTICAL FRAME MEMBER AND PROJECTING INTO THE HORIZONTAL FRAME MEMBER FOR GUIDING MOVEMENT OF THE FRAME ASSEMBLY RELATIVE TO THE GUIDE FIN COMPRISING; A FIXED GUIDE MEMBER ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON THE VERTICAL FRAME MEMBER IN STRADDLING RELATION TO THE GUIDE FIN, A REMOVABLE GUIDE MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE FIXED GUIDE MEMBER IN STRADDLING RELATION TO THE GUIDE FIN AND SPRING MEANS OPERATIVELY MOUNTED ON THE GUIDE MEMBERS SPACED FROM THE GUIDE FIN FOR BIASING THE MOVABLE GUIDE MEMBER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GUIDE FIN. 